E90/E91/E92/E93 OEM Spare Tire source

Originally Posted by HGX3.0

got the spare tire/jack kit last night. one question: what is the little wing nut for? thanks.

on the E60 there's a threaded rod coming up from the floor.

Originally Posted by Orient330iNYC

well, i drove around on it all weekend, probably put about 300 miles on it.
this morning i was able to find a shop that had a potenza RE760 non-runflat tire in the right size so i had them mount it up. i was going to try to drive back from buffalo with the donut, but was a little wary of driving non stop at highway speeds on it. 147 for the tire, and i got a front sized tire (i had blown a rear) so i can use it as a spare front or rear.

the donut spare worked admirably, as long as you kept in mind that it was a donut and drove more conservatively. ended up visiting all the places i was going to, minimal interruption to my trip, and it held me over untill i could find a suitable tire. most of the trips were short, in town trips, a few 30-50 mile ones though

interestingly, the dealer i got the tire from, even though it was a runflat certified bridgestone shop, didnt have either the 225/40 or the 255/35 runflat in stock.

i dont think the runflat tire would have gotten me through the weekend with all the driving i did.

I'm one of those guys who puts things off until it's WAY too late to wait any longer. I have a 2006 330i sport/premium/manual on which I've managed to wring 60,000 miles (commuting and highway) out of 5 Bridgestone runflats (the tires are almost bald, but I live in CA, NEVER have snow, and it rains so little the hydroplaning risk is tiny).

I just priced Michelin PS2 runflats at Costco (who's tire stores are actually operated by Michelin). Almost $1700 installed!

Is there any consensus that the Michelin runflats are any better than the Bridgestones in terms of noise or tramlining?

I'm hesitating to move to non-runflats for three reasons:

1. 1. Trunk space
2. 2. Concerns about the fact that the suspension on US spec e90s is tuned for RFTs (softer bushings to compensate for the almost-rigid tire sidewalls).
3. 3. It's nice to keep driving when the FTM indicator comes on when you're just pulling out of the parking garage at SFO at 1 am (not a good place or time to be waiting, unprotected, for BMW Assist).

Are you aware of discussions of the suspension issues among people who have changed JUST the tires and not their suspension bushings, shocks, or springs? Are you aware of people who've made the jump to non-RFT who have regrets?

Finally, are you aware of people who are happier with the Michelin PS2 RFTs than they were with the Bridgestone RFTs? Or people who've compared the NON-RFT version of the PS2s with the RFT version?

Lots of questions, I know, but this is a remarkable thread. Thanks for all your responses to other 3-series owners and all your investigations!

I have the spare, but I also happen to have the michelin ps2 runflats.. I haven't driven on them yet, got them in winter and waiting for march to put them on stock 162's for my 330i. The only immediate pro is that they are in some way related to the michelin ps2, which is just a great tire. The con is that they are noticeably heavy. I'll be sure to review it in six weeks.

Read this thread for some opinions/answers...
http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/sho...e=2&highlight=

Originally Posted by CalfeeRider

Are you aware of people who've made the jump to non-RFT who have regrets?

I made the jump to non-RFT PS2s and the regret I had was that I waited to make the jump.... But I had no choice - HRE was making up a set of wheels and I was constrained by their timeline.

Originally Posted by CalfeeRider

Are you aware of people who've made the jump to non-RFT who have regrets?

Only those who get flat tires!

- Mike

I love this BMW spare. I have a similar set up for a spare but with a diff brand tire.

Originally Posted by 335iowa

Just took delivery of new 2009 335i sedan w/ sport. Even though it's great sport driving the summer tires in the snow here in IA, I really must get some winter wheels and snow tires.

Will the E60 spare kit fit on my 2009? I would really rather not buy run flat snow tires.

Also, along the same lines, I'm getting mixed messages from tirerack and discounttires about 17" wheels for the snows. One says 17s are fine on my car. the other says they will hit the brakes. Any advice?

**********

I recently purchased a set of O.Z. Allegheritas for my 2008 335 xi coupe and mounted them with Michelin non-RF Alpin PA3 tires, 225 x 45R 17s. They work fine. That was the stock tire size for the car if one ran with 17's and the wheels fit fine.

We ran down to Portland, OR last weekend for a meeting and to see kid/grandkid and on the way back refueled in Washington just north of the OR border. We got a whopping 32.2 mpg with an average speed of 64.4 for the freeway drive home.

I have had significant problems with the original 18" Bridgestone RFs with sidewall bubbles on 4 out of 5 tires (no spare). I replaced a LF and it later developed sidewall bubbles with two or three on the RF and one or two on the LR tire. I had BMW locally look at these tires and they are claiming road hazards, but the biz which installed the O.Z/Michelin package from Tire Rack figured there had to be something wrong that four tires would go bad.

Next summer tire set will likely be a set of high end Michelin 18" with road hazard insurance. (Non-RF likely, the Corvette'/BMW OEM style).

Comments on this phenomena solicited as I frankly think this is a UCC/Warranty issue.

Harv, aka Bikeshark

due to the brake size on the 335is some 17s will clear, some wont.

Just finished reading the whole thread. Lots of great info in here. Didn't see a specific mention of fit on a 2006 330xi sport but based on results with similar 3s it should work fine, right? Thanks!

Originally Posted by Wesley

Just finished reading the whole thread. Lots of great info in here. Didn't see a specific mention of fit on a 2006 330xi sport but based on results with similar 3s it should work fine, right? Thanks!

yup
the issue is brake clearance, the 330's have slightly smaller brakes than the 335s, so you shouldnt have any problems

Originally Posted by Orient330iNYC

I know the leather-Z kit has been out for a while. it just never sat right with me that a) it was almost 400 for the kit that fit the 335i ( tire + tools + spacer & bolts)
b) you needed to use a 15mm spacer to get it to work.

digging through the ETK, it looks like the leather-z spare is the spare from the E46 cab.
3.50BX17 ET:30

a little more digging shows that the E60 550i uses front brake rotors the same size (348mm) and thickness as the 335i. brake calipers look to be of approximate same size.

the compact spare for the 550i is:
4BX17 ET:18

the offset is close to that of the E46 spare plus spacer-- ET 15 for the E46 spare wheel + spacer vs ET 18

now the fun part. BMW sells a retrofit spare kit for the E60. it includes:


the wheel +tire diameter is within 2% of stock tires.

total price from tischer BMW, for the whole retrofit kit listed above, before shipping, is $239.

I've ordered up a set, will keep everyone posted as to if it works. if it doesnt, i have a new flower planter. if it does, a spare that works without having to deal with the spacer, and for a lower price.

You da man brother. I have ordered the kit yesteday and am patientely waiting for its arrival. In the meantime I am thinking about getting some new non-run flat tires and new rims for the front as I have hit one too many potholes and highway driving is a tad annoying. Thanks again for the info.

Originally Posted by Orient330iNYC

small update: kit shipped out. it came to 259 shipped from tischer bmw to my apt in manhattan.

i'll probably have time to test fit it this weekend.

Great info! Would the kit work for my 2008 335xi without sport package and with 225-45-R17 run-flats? If so, I'm ordering one. Thanks for the useful info.

Originally Posted by WesBMW

Great info! Would the kit work for my 2008 335xi without sport package and with 225-45-R17 run-flats? If so, I'm ordering one. Thanks for the useful info.

it should, there isnt any difference in the brake positioning on the XI vs the I

So, let me get this straight. If the total diameter is approximately equal to the regular tire, then any BMW spare will do? Is the bolt pattern the same? What about spares from older 5- and 3-series? Would they be okay?

Originally Posted by lpite

So, let me get this straight. If the total diameter is approximately equal to the regular tire, then any BMW spare will do? Is the bolt pattern the same? What about spares from older 5- and 3-series? Would they be okay?

no. the older 3 and 5 series spares are the wrong offset and will not fit without a spacer.
the E46 was the last series that used a donut spare, and that one will not clear the brakes without a 15mm spacer

I have a 325i w/zsp with the staggered 17" wheels 8" 225/45-17 front/ 8.5" 255/40-17 rear. I'd like a spare, wheel/tire combo that would allow it to fit either front or rear. Anyone have a suggestion?
The wheels that I have now are the (161) style so, if I could get either the front or back that would fit both front and back, I could use it as a spare. Does this make sense? Is it possible?

Originally Posted by Galtsfan

I have a 325i w/zsp with the staggered 17" wheels 8" 225/45-17 front/ 8.5" 255/40-17 rear. I'd like a spare, wheel/tire combo that would allow it to fit either front or rear. Anyone have a suggestion?
The wheels that I have now are the (161) style so, if I could get either the front or back that would fit both front and back, I could use it as a spare. Does this make sense? Is it possible?

the front rim will fit the rear no problem. back in the day when bmw included a full sized spare, on sport package cars it would be a front tire.

my 330i came with staggered M68s. 7.5 front, 8.5 rear, the spare was an M68 7.5 with a front tire.

Flying Monkey Herder: This is great information you've posted regarding the compact spare tire. The only thing holding me back in buying non-run flat tires and the compact spare is how much space it takes up in the trunk. Do you have the diameter and height of the spare tire...any information is appreciated? When we take trips, we carry some non-foldable bulky stuff so space can become an issue. Thanks for any information in advance.

Originally Posted by bimmerz_vn

Flying Monkey Herder: This is great information you've posted regarding the compact spare tire. The only thing holding me back in buying non-run flat tires and the compact spare is how much space it takes up in the trunk. Do you have the diameter and height of the spare tire...any information is appreciated? When we take trips, we carry some non-foldable bulky stuff so space can become an issue. Thanks for any information in advance.

25.3" in diameter and about 4.5" tall

Thanks, Orient. Mine arrived not two months ago but saw its first use with our wonderful NYC roads. Going to pick up my brother at JFK, I hit a monster gash getting on Manhattan bridge from canal st. By the time I got to JFK, tire had a bubble the size of an apple, hissing air out of its middle (miraculously only down 6psi). My wheel had some trouble coming off (rusted onto hub), but the next morning a 2x4 took care of that. Then put on spare and drove to my tire shop to switch to summers.

I drove gently and <50mph as suggested. It worked very well.

Originally Posted by Orient330iNYC

no. the older 3 and 5 series spares are the wrong offset and will not fit without a spacer.
the E46 was the last series that used a donut spare, and that one will not clear the brakes without a 15mm spacer

I have four 15 mm spacers for my winter setup. I'm thinking I should find an E46 spare at a junkyard. Are you saying that will work?

got my spare, and kit f/ Tisher. $275 delivered ! ;^}

Originally Posted by mecodoug

I have four 15 mm spacers for my winter setup. I'm thinking I should find an E46 spare at a junkyard. Are you saying that will work?

it should work, havent tried it, but thats pretty much the kit that leatherz sells

I know this probably sounds like a silly question, but where do people store the spare? Is it put in the trunk, and if so, is there any space for any other items. I have to carry alot of stuff in my wagon for work, and don't think I would have space for this? Thanks